1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to gardening tools, and more specifically, to powered cultivation tools.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human powered tilling methods using hand tools include shoveling, picking, hoeing, and raking. In general, a cultivator or cultivation tool is any of several types of garden or farming implements used for tilling soil. Some types of cultivators include teeth (also called shanks) that pierce the soil as they are dragged through it linearly. Other types of cultivators include machines that use rotary motion of disks or tines to accomplish a similar result.
The rotary tiller is a prime example of a cultivator that uses rotary motion. Rotary tillers are popular with home gardeners or others who have small to midsize gardens. The garden may be tilled a few times using the rotary tiller before planting each crop. In some cases, rotary tillers are powered by a motor operative to rotate the tines at one or more speeds to till the soil and propel the rotary tiller through the soil.